Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा प्राह मांसादः कर्मनामानि पार्थिव । मिथः कृतानि संज्ञार्थमस्माभिः स्वयमेव हि

Transliteration

tacchrutvā prāha māṃsādaḥ karmanāmāni pārthiva | mithaḥ kṛtāni saṃjñārthamasmābhiḥ svayameva hi

Translation

এই কথা শুনি মাংসাদ ক’লে: হে ৰাজন, এইবোৰ কৰ্মৰ পৰা জন্মা নাম। আমাৰ আচৰণ চিনাবলৈ আমি নিজে নিজে পৰস্পৰে এই সঞ্জ্ঞা দিছোঁ।

Word by Word

• तत्: that (speech/question)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Neuter, accusative singular: ‘that’)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund: ‘having heard’)

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/ब्रू (धातु; ‘to say’)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• मांसादः: Māṃsāda (the meat-eater; name/title)
• मांसादः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस + आद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Masculine, nominative singular)

• कर्मनामानि: names based on deeds
• कर्मनामानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Neuter, nom./acc. plural)

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी + अण् → पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Masculine, vocative singular)

• मिथः: mutually
• मिथः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथः (अव्यय)
• Form: परस्परार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘mutually/among ourselves’)

• कृतानि: made
• कृतानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Neuter, nom./acc. plural); भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• संज्ञार्थम्: for the sake of identification/naming
• संज्ञार्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संज्ञा + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Neuter, accusative singular); प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Kartr-karana (कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, बहुवचन, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental plural)

• स्वयम्: by ourselves
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वयंकर्तृवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘oneself’)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: ‘for/indeed’)

Speaker

Māṃsāda (preta)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (frame); immediate: king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Māṃsāda speaks with a resigned clarity, pointing to himself and the others as if assigning labels; the king listens; the forest becomes a classroom of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Māṃsāda
• The King

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions become one’s true ‘name’—a moral identity that follows beyond social titles and lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it supports the larger tīrthamāhātmya narrative by explaining karmic causation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is explanatory (why their names reflect deeds).